Saturday, August 24, 2013

still going strong... It has been three days of parties and socialising Aussie sty le. There were four or five tents in the back 40 and every guest brought their kids, so there was much yelling and hollering as the crowd moved from bonfire to the line of eskys which chilled the beers and wines.

The stars were shining exceptionally bright with the Southern Cross prominent in the sky adjacent to our clearing. The night sky was so clear and warm that a viewer could look up and see the Galactic clouds with unaided eyes. Good times.

I am taking a pile of photos but since I am using an iPad I will have to wait to upload. Google won't let me sign in unless I give them my phone number. google does not want me signing in on another computer and it's for my own safety.

Friday, August 16, 2013

when I hear Intercontinental, I think of the Wrestling Federation. They had a World Heavyweight Champ, think Hulk Hogan or someone like that. Then there was something called a Intercontinental Champion, usually some unknown guy from Mexico or Tonga. Think of Tito Santana or Ricky The Steamboat Dragon.

So I am roosting at an airport that would be better named after a popular wrestler rather than a distinguished former President.

Ponder this as I wait for the next exciting leap to LAX. Which I presume is a shortened version of EX-Lax.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

We have all the gear set on the billiards table and just need to zip up the bags and walk out the door. Always nice to have properly planned and set up, takes away any pre-travel anxiety and lets us just relax before the actual moving bit.

But the trip will be about thirty hours, so there will be plenty of time for reflection and boredom. SO we have an i-Pad, two iPods (with days of music), a cribbage board and many sacks of bad snacks to keep us entertained.

Air New Zealand has free drinks for our class of of travel, too. (!)

But we have an endurance pre-test in going from JAX to LAX. A three hour layover in f*&^% Texas.

I like Texas. But I don't care for airports anywhere so hence the frustration. Of course, we have a nine hour flailex to enjoy in El-Lay. So we have that going for us, which is not nice.

On the return, we will have an eighteen hour layover at LAX but we have planned properly and have a suite reserved at the local Hilton. So there. At least we can get some quality sleep and water locker time to refresh ourselves for the big jump across flyover country to... Texas. For another three hour layover.

Could be worse. We might have had to take trains, like they do in the former British Commonwealth.

Speaking of trains, we will change at Sydney to a train for Hunter Valley, Sunday afternoon. Planes, Trains and automobiles.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Very quiet weekend, so far. We had dinner with this author/raconteur last night and one of the bottles of wine that was served was this distinctive red;

It was not memorable except for the labeling. I feel that this Cab was served probably about three years past its "best by" date. The vintage was 2006 and I'm sure the "Great One" had nothing to do with this wine other than lending his name.

I thought of Buck when I peeped at the label on that bottle!

Nice to have no where to be and to just relax at home with the tv and kitties. Good thing we have all this good stuff available to us!